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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lean — thin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cap — a hat
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — the fish
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bore — to drill
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com